Madhubani to Kolkata : journey of 12 year old

Kolkata : march 21st : Hyatt to Kolkata Airport …….

I meet grown up Suru from LION . Not in Australia but in Kolkata . His name is Suru Yadav .

He come from Madhubani - a place in bihar - not very far from Janakpur - known for the Sita of Ramayana . 

At the age of 12 , he was beaten by his school teacher for not paying his school fees. This was after his father - village farmer expressed his helplessness of paying school fees . He still remembers being beaten black and blue by cane stick made from Date tree . With his body bruised and in pain , he decided then & there only ' no more school , ‘no more home ‘ and ‘no more madhubani ' . Young Suru learnt two guys from his village leaving for Kolkata and decide to leave his books at the railway station and hop into the train without letting anyone know about it . Even two guys were not aware of this small kid keeping track of them . 

Once arriving Hawdah station , he reach two guys and tell them about his story . These two guys try their best to convince him to go back to his home - But Suru is determined . They are working in Mithai shop . These two souls take him to their shop and he gets a job of washing utensils with salary of Rs 80 p.m with food & stay in hotel . After few months , with the assistance of his friends , he post letter to his parents - He gets reply from his dad asking his friends to send Suru back but if he decides not to - then do take care of him  and indeed they do .

After working for two years . Suru moves to another hotel and start eating Rs 250.00 per mont . He saves the money over two years and plan to send the money home . But then Kala Azar stuck in P Bengal(Black fever, a disease caused by infection with leishmania parasites . This is spread by sandfly insect bites and affects the internal organs ) . Suru’s  hotel employer refuse to pay for his treatment . Suru spends all his two year savings and somehow come out of this dreadful disease .

Now Suru become waiter at Tewari Sweets shop , earning and saving money for his family . He visits madhubani - meets his family and support them . His parents fix his marraiage but as the tradition in Bihar , he leaves his wife with his parents and come to kolkata . While working for sweet shop , he is spotted by Sardarjee in kolkata . He offer Suru a  job at his home looking after his home and do menial jobs . Now Suru has a roof and decent company .Things are going well

Buy appendicitis came out of nowhere - Suru is in acute pain - sardarjee take  him to a physician who advise  immediate surgery else a risk of bursting his appendix Sardarjee move him to Marwari charitable hospital and have his surgery done . Suru is indebted to Sardarjee who gave him a new lease of life . He look after Sardarjee children , see them grow . One day while

Washing the family car , Sardarjee son ask him ' why don't you secure driving license ' ? This made Suru learn driving and secure licence . And another profession is carved out for Suru and decide to make career as driver. 

Now Suru work for travel agency who is vendor for Japanese company Orix. They have 3 year contract with Hyatt . That's when I know the story of Suru while taking me to airport from Hyatt . Suru now earn Rs 10000 p.m but he gets shared accommodation at Hyatt , Food and Uniform . He now has three kids studying in Madhubani and do visit them once in six months .

This Suru may not be as lucky like one in LION to be adopted by anAustralian family but he was extremely lucky to meet all wonderful people while being in kolkata for

His innocent childhood days . He was never physically abused or exploited sexually , didn't get or forced into the company of tobacco , alcohol and drugs . He still doesn't touch tobacco or any addictions and say this 

He had affection for Sardarjee family and do make it a point to visit them when he happen to drive in their neighbourhood .

Every life is a captivating novel and Suru has crafted his novel with beautiful deeds . Is he worried that his children of running away from Madhubani like he did . He is confident that they won’t . He feels life in Madhubani is no radically different to kolkata - with mobile connectivity & travel mobility . But Suru still feels life was more peaceful & contented when he earned meager salary . Now demands and requirements  are more , and he is not as happy as he was in old days ….